Jazz At The Merchants House presents Ant Law: Same Moon In The Same World

Jazz at The Merchants House

An ambitious new collaboration between British musicians Ant Law (guitar) and  Alex Hitchcock (saxophone) ft. Jasper Hoiby and Sun-Mi Hong

The Merchants House of Glasgow

Jazz At The Merchants House Spring 2024

Spring 2024 at Jazz At The Merchants House, Glasgow

SAME MOON IN THE SAME WORLDAnt Law - guitar &amp; compositions Alex Hitchcock - tenor saxophone &amp; compositions Jasper Høiby - bass Sun-Mi Hong - drums <h4>Recorded in 2020 and 2021 across multiple continents – bridging the gap between London, Amsterdam and New York – the album brings together a stellar cast of guest musicians performing new compositions: vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassists Linda May Han Oh, Ben Williams and Jasper Høiby, and drummers Jeff Ballard, Kendrick Scott, Sun-Mi Hong and Eric Harland.</h4> <h4>December 2022 saw the first live expedition for Same Moon - Alex and Ant travelled to Spain, Germany, Finland (and of course the UK) with Jeff Ballard. In February 2023 Jasper Høiby and Sun-Mi Hong joined for a more extensive UK tour.</h4> Ant LawAnt was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he lived until the age of 16. From a young age he was exposed to early blues and rock 'n' roll, as well as Arabic music. He began playing classical piano and guitar around the age of 8. Throughout his teens he gravitated towards the guitar. A history teacher gave him a video of Stevie Ray Vaughan playing live at the El Mocambo, which was a huge influence, along with videos of Guns 'n' Roses, Queen, and later on Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.Law studied Physics on a scholarship at Edinburgh University. In the summer before his final year there he completed a summer semester at Berklee College Of Music, Boston. This he says was crucial because he heard gospel music and gospel drummers for the first time, and lots of Latin American music. As he continued with the Physics degree he became obsessed with jazz and played his first jazz gigs. By this point he had discovered and started using Perfect 4ths tuning for the guitar. In a case of convergent evolution, other players (like Stanley Jordan, Tom Quayle) had also discovered and were using this same tuning. Allan Holdsworth has said that if he could start again, he would tune this way. Ant wrote a book introducing the tuning entitled “3rd Millenium Guitar" which is published by Mel Bay.Since 2010 Ant has concentrated on make a living playing guitar, eventually moving to London and immersing himself in the scene there and touring internationally. He has also lived in NYC for a season where he studied with his heroes Ari Hoenig, Ben Monder, Adam Rogers, Lage Lund, Johannes Weidenmueller, Tim Miller and others. Alex HitchcockSaxophonist Alex Hitchcock is an immediately distinctive improviser and a leading voice on his instrument in the UK. An Ivor Novello-nominated composer, his innovative collaborations have confirmed his growing international reputation as an instigator and catalyst for captivating musical encounters that 'continually push the envelope a little further' (Jazzmania BE).As a prolific and multi-award winning bandleader, his writing is inspired by the uniquely creative and diverse voices of the musicians he works with - always with human connection and communication as their guiding principle. His compositions, primarily influenced by black American music, unite a powerful instrumental command with an originality and clarity of musical vision that has been described as ‘exquisitely subtle’ (All About Jazz) and ‘startlingly vivid and mature’ (Marlbank).‘Dream Band’ is his series of recordings of his favourite musicians in new combinations, playing music written especially for them. The resulting albums are full of surprises, terrain shifts, harmonic nuance and emotional depth, underpinned by a freshness of approach and fearless interplay. The first volume (2021), recorded over three days in a London studio with three different groups, spotlights amongst others Cherise Adams-Burnett, Midori Jaeger, Chris Cheek, Jason Brown and Deschanel Gordon. The second (2022), captured over three sold-out nights at the iconic Vortex jazz club, features Kit Downes, Mark Kavuma, Liselotte Östblom, Rob Luft and Orlando le Fleming.His contributions to other artists’ music suggest a progressive and open-minded conception of jazz as a genre; widely recognised as a thoughtful collaborator, he is equally at home in the musical worlds of trailblazers of the resurgent London jazz scene (Maria Chiara Argirò, Ashley Henry, Myele Manzanza, Rosie Frater-Taylor) as featuring in the groups of revered elders (Kirk Lightsey, Jasper Høiby, the Blackbyrds).He lives in London, UK and regularly performs at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals domestically and throughout the EU, leading groups at Umbria Jazz Festival, Love Supreme Festival, and Ronnie Scott’s and performing at North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne and Glastonbury Festival amongst many others.Jasper HøibyCopenhagen-born bassist Jasper Høiby created the trio Phronesis in 2005. The group quickly gained recognition for their fresh and dynamic approach to jazz, blending intricate compositions with spontaneous improvisation. Their music transcends genres, combining elements of contemporary jazz, European folk, and various world music influences. With Høiby's bass playing at the forefront, Phronesis has released a string of highly acclaimed albums and toured extensively around the globe, captivating audiences with their energetic performances.As a composer and bandleader, Høiby's works exhibit a rich harmonic palette and a profound sense of melody. His compositions have been featured not only as part of Phronesis' discography but also in collaborations with other prominent musicians and ensembles. Høiby's music reflects a deep exploration of emotions and the human experience, often delivering powerful narratives through his sonic creations.Høiby has and continues to perform and record with a number of original artists, including Tigran Hamasyan, Mark Guiliana, Django Bates, Shai Maestro, Jeff Ballard, Jason Lindner, Miquel Zenón, Louis Cole, Julian Joseph, Dave Okumu, Julian Arguelles, Jef Neve, Marc O'Reilly, Ana Silvera, Kurt Elling, Teis Semey, Kit Downes, Xavi Torres, Sun Mi Hong, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Pascal Schumaker, Gwilym Simcock, Antonio Loureiro, Tom Arthurs, Mark Lockheart, Liam Noble, Jef Neve, Julia Biel, Seb Rochford, Kairos 4tet, Makaya McCraven, Ben Lamar Gay and Richard Spaven. He has appeared at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals across the world and in 2012 won the Copenhagen Jazz Festival's 'Young Spirit Award' alongside honorary award winners Jack DeJohnette and Palle Mikkelborg.​Sun-Mi HongBorn and raised in In-Cheon, Korea; Sun-Mi has a unique perspective of life after her last ten years in Amsterdam. With a signature of rooted groove in combination with well tempered outbursts, Sun-Mi has placed herself strongly in the Dutch jazz scene. By approaching the moment in a somewhat meditative fashion, she achieves the ability to bring something entirely original to the band stand. Her last album ‘A Self-Strewn Portrait’ (ZenneZ Records) has won the prize of the Edison Award 2021 in National category. She is the winner of the Dutch Jazz Competition 2018 and the 2nd Prize of the Getxo International Jazz Competition 2017 (Sun-Mi Hong Quintet), She just released a new album with her quintet on Edition Records on the 18th of November 2022.